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Luke 11

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Give us day by day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.

But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.

And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.

But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.

If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.

And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:

But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.

And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.

Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.

But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.

The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.

Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.

And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.

And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?

But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.

And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:

That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;

From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:

Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

What does Luke 11:45 mean?

Explanation

Luke 11:45 captures an interaction between Jesus and one of the lawyers present while He was denouncing the Pharisees and the scholars of the Jewish law for their hypocrisy and legalistic ways.

In the context of this verse, "lawyer" refers to an expert in Mosaic Law, not a lawyer in the modern sense.

Jesus had just pronounced a series of "woes" upon the Pharisees for their religious practices that burdened people without offering true insight into spiritual matters.

The lawyer felt that by criticizing the Pharisees, Jesus was also implicating the lawyers, and thus he pointed out that Jesus' words were offensive to them as well.

This reflects the lawyer's awareness and potential guilt regarding the issues Jesus was addressing.

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Historical Context

Luke 11:45 falls within a narrative where Jesus is speaking to a crowd that includes Pharisees and lawyers.

The Gospel of Luke was written in a Greco-Roman world in the first century A.D. by Luke the evangelist, who is believed to have been a companion of the Apostle Paul.

The Pharisees and lawyers were influential religious leaders in Judea.

They were responsible for interpreting the Torah and often added their own traditions to it.

Jesus' teachings and interactions often challenged these traditions and critiqued the leaders for their legalistic and superficial religious practices.

Theological Insights

Theologically, this verse reflects Jesus' consistent message against religious hypocrisy and legalism.

From a Christian perspective, it emphasizes Jesus' role in calling out those who purported to represent God's will but whose actions contradicted the principles of justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

A varying theological viewpoint might focus on the implications of Jesus' rebukes for doctrinal orthodoxy and authority.

Here, Jesus challenges the established religious interpretations, which can lead to the belief that following the spirit of the law is more important than adhering to the letter of the law.

Practical Applications

The practical application of Luke 11:45 invites individuals to self-reflect on their own actions and beliefs.

It encourages people to consider whether they, like the lawyers, are guilty of applying rules in a way that burdens others or if they are prioritizing appearances over genuine compassion and humility.

Additionally, it may serve as a call to those in religious or judicial authority to conduct their duties with awareness and to avoid imposing unnecessary burdens on those they serve.

Cross-References

Luke 11:46: "And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers."
Matthew 23:2-4: "Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not."
Matthew 23:13-14: "But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in."

Language Study

In the original Greek text, the term "lawyer" is translated from "νομικός" (nomikos), which indicates an expert in the Jewish law.

The word "reproachest" or "ὑβρίζεις" (hybrizeis) in Greek can mean to insult, affront, or treat with arrogance. This choice of words shows the lawyer's perception of Jesus' rebuke as a personal and collective affront to their professional identity and practice.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

This encounter between Jesus and the lawyer has parallels in other ancient cultures and religions that critique their own religious leaders and hypocritical behavior.

For example, similar themes can be found in various Hindu and Buddhist texts where spiritual leaders warn against the pitfalls of ritualism over true understanding and virtue.

Scientific Perspectives

While Luke 11:45 does not directly touch on scientific topics, the intersection of principles such as ethics and fairness with societal laws can be observed across cultures and time, suggesting an element of human social behavior that could be explored through the lens of social psychology or anthropology.

Commentaries

Commentators diverge in their interpretation of the implications of this verse.

Most agree that this serves as a record of Jesus' criticism of religious legalism, which alienated people from God instead of drawing them closer.

For instance, Matthew Henry's Commentary underscores the guilt of the lawyers in making the laws burdensome.

The Pulpit Commentary discusses the relationship between Jesus' reproaches and the lawyers' awareness of their faulty practices.

These commentaries often focus on the hypocritical nature of the religious leaders and Jesus' mission to reveal the true heart of God's law.

Luke 11

Luke 11

What does Luke 11:45 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Luke 11:45 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?